NEW YORK -- Carl Crawford is most likely going to have Tommy John surgery. Not definitely, but likely. Not now, but perhaps soon. 

"We'll have to see how that goes," he said after being told it was reported on the ESPN broadcast that a decision regarding whether the outfielder's left elbow would be going under the knife would be coming in 7-10 days. "I told [ESPN] at some point we'll have to make a decision."

Until then, Crawford is intent on living up to his responsibilities.

"I think the fact I make $20 million a year, people probably think I should be out there trying to kill myself. And that's probably the approach I'm taking, too," Crawford told WEEI.com after the Red Sox' 3-2, 10-inning win over the Yankees on Sunday night. "You feel like you owe it to the team to do that kind of stuff, and that's why you do it. Any other time you wouldn't do it.

"When you sign for $100 million and stuff like that, it's no secret. You feel like you owe it to the team to do that kind of stuff. You make a lot of money so you definitely want to try and pay that back. It's like you owe that to the team to try and do that."

This we know: Crawford was told by Dr. James Andrews in late April that there was a strong possibility he would need Tommy John surgery on the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow. It was determined that a platelet rich plasma (PRP) injection could help the 30-year-old get through the 2011 season.

The elbow continues to bother Crawford, as was most recently evidenced by the wincing that could be seen on the outfielder's face after making a throw home in the seventh inning on Curtis Granderson's fly out to shallow left field.

If surgery is needed, the recovery time figures to be close to the 9-12-month timetable afforded pitchers, not the five- or six-month period Crawford surmised might be the case.

That, however, is not what Crawford is currently thinking about.

"To be honest, it's a tough position," he said. "There's no easy way around it. You know you need surgery and you want to help the team out. You just have to do what you think is best. Right now they want me on the field, so I'm trying to do what I can to help the team out."

Perhaps the best comparison to Crawford's plight is what John Lackey experienced in 2011.

Lackey entered into his five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Red Sox understanding the ligament in his right elbow wasn't right. It was why the Sox incorporated a clause in the pitcher's deal with a vesting option at the major league minimum for 2015 if Lackey missed significant time due to his pre-existing elbow ailment.

Lackey would venture into the '11 season knowing -- like Crawford -- playing was going to mean managing an elbow that would ultimately need to be fixed via surgery. The motivation was -- also like Crawford -- to help the team that had allocated a significant amount of its payroll to the player.

"I knew something was wrong all year last year," Lackey said. "It was a situation where you want to try and perform for your team, and be there for the guys. It's a tough spot. Sometimes you hurt yourself trying to help out. It's kind of a delicate balance, I guess.

"I knew probably two years ago that I had some things going on. My contract is what it is for a reason. Then I had the MRI during the season last year that wasn't good."

But Lackey pitched, making 28 starts, all the way until his final start, Sept. 25 in Yankee Stadium. A few weeks later, he was in the office of Dr. Lewis Yocum undergoing Tommy John surgery.

The comparisons to Crawford's current plight are easy to come by.

"For sure. Absolutely," Lackey said when asked if he could relate to what Crawford is going through. "He wants to perform. He wants to live up the contract and that kind of stuff. There are a lot of factors that come with the decision to play and try and help out.

"There is a fine line when you're hurting yourself, or if you're actually helping. There are a lot of factors. You want to try and be tough, and you want to compete, but sometimes you end up banging your head against the wall."

Eleven games since returning from the disabled list, it's a feeling to which Crawford can relate.

"I don't really want to comment on my elbow because that's why I keep getting taken out of the game in the eighth inning. If I'm out there, my arm is OK. That's it," he said. "I'm just showing I can play nine innings."